Having the facts beforehand will enable you to make the proper arrangements, and avoid any nasty penalties or clearance problems. With that end in mind, here are the relevant details that you need to know, when importing your household belongings and vehicle into Poland.
Duty for importing your personal belongings
Duty Exemptions Are Offered
Usually termed your “household goods” by customs, these are items like your furniture, furnishings, household supplies, clothing and so forth. If you’re relocating to Poland from another EU member state, then your used household goods can be imported duty-free.
As to foreigners from non-EU countries moving to Poland, it seems that your shipment of household belongings can also be free of any import duties. In order to qualify for this exemption, your items must be in used condition (at least 6 months old) (1).
You must also take all goods back out of the country (re-export), when you leave Poland. This seems to be tied to your work contract, and once it expires re-exportation of your belongings is immediately required. You also cannot sell any of these items for one full year after bringing them into Poland. Finally, a Bank Guarantee for the full amount of the applicable import duty and VAT is necessary, to be held as security in case you fail to re-export your items when you leave the country (2).
Letter of Employment from new company
Though not abundantly clear, in order to qualify for import duty exemption - you may also need a valid Letter of Employment from the company where you’ll be working in Poland. This is required to specify how long the term of your employment will be, along with exact dates for the beginning and end of your employment. Also, keep in mind that the length of your employment is not permitted to be less than one year.
This letter must be written on official company stationary (with their letterhead on it). It must also have the stamp and signature of the appropriate official designated in the company’s registration paperwork with Poland (3).
Letter of Employment from previous company
In addition to a Letter of Employment from your new company, you must give customs a Letter of Employment from your previous employer as well. This should clearly detail the precise dates that your employment ran with the company, and this should also be a timeframe of at least one year in duration.
This letter must also include a statement saying you’re no longer living in your country of origin, and that you’ll be transferring your primary residence to Poland. The language this letter is penned in will vary, as it’s required to be in the official language of the nation you’ll be leaving. A second copy of this letter in Polish is also required (4).
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Poland has a value-added tax (VAT) which is evidently separate from any import duties. It appears that you may be required to pay this, even if your household goods are exempt from the regular import duties. Currently, Poland’s VAT is 22% of the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of your items (5).
To determine if this VAT will apply to your shipment, it’s best to contact Polish customs directly.
Documents for importing your personal belongings
Polish customs will need to see a list of documents, before they’ll authorize clearance of your shipment. Paperwork required includes a notarized copy of your passport (both the page with your picture and the page with your Polish visa stamp) and Residence Permit. A Work Permit may also be necessary, but this is only required for citizens of specific countries (contact Polish customs to determine if you’ll need a Work Permit for your situation).
You will also need your packing list and Bill of Lading or Air Waybill. The Letter of Employment from both your past and your new employer should also be submitted to customs. A written inventory that is thorough and descriptive is also required, and this should be written in Polish and signed by you. You may also need to confirm you have been living abroad for the space of one year minimum - though this requirement seems to only apply to returning Polish citizens (6).
You may also need to submit proof of a Bank Guarantee, which is a deposit of funds sufficient to cover the full cost of VAT and import duty (held in trust until you leave Poland). If you’re using a third-party shipping company, then a Power of Attorney will also be required. Finally, you must obtain an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number. This safeguard is now necessary for any shipment travelling into or out of a European Union country (7).
Duty exemption is possible
If your personal motor vehicle is in used condition and six months old or more (or with more than 6,000 km on the odometer) - then duty-free importation is possible. In order to obtain this exemption, it’s required that you be moving your place of residence to Poland for at least six months. In addition, your vehicle must be registered (in your name) in your country of origin, before you ship it into Poland.
New vehicles (or used vehicles under six months old) don’t enjoy this same duty-free status. If you decide to import your newer vehicle, then be prepared to pay the typical import duty. The 22% value-added tax (VAT) will also be incurred, and an additional excise tax as well (8). For this reason, it is much more affordable to import an older vehicle that meets the import exemption guidelines.
Excise tax
Even when you follow the requirements to obtain duty and VAT exemption - excise tax is still assessed on used vehicles entering the country. The rate is based upon the displacement of your vehicle’s engine and when your vehicle was manufactured. Poland’s vehicle excise tax can range from the low end of 3.1%, up to as much as 65% (9).
Additional regulations
While not a complete list of all possible regulations which may affect your eligibility for duty exemption, here are some important requirements you should be aware of. There is a limit of one vehicle importation per type, and your vehicle must have been used by you personally in the origin country for at least the previous 6 months. Customs requires you to continue using the vehicle for the same purpose (in other words, they don’t want you to begin using a personal vehicle for commercial purposes).
Selling, leasing or renting, or even letting another person borrow your vehicle is forbidden, for the first year after bringing it into the country. If you’re found breaking this regulation, then you’ll have to remit the full amount of the typical import duty that you were exempted from paying during importation (10).
Do you need to exchange your driving licence to a Polish one?
Documents for importing your vehicle
Shipping your vehicle without all the appropriate documentation, is a recipe for disaster. Therefore, you should have all of your paperwork in order, before beginning this process. You’ll need proof of insurance, as well as your vehicle registration. An invoice, purchase receipt, bill of sale or other document proving your ownership and the price paid is required by customs. You also must provide a valuation of your vehicle, which is to be signed by you. Paperwork showing that you are the owner of the vehicle in question is also needed, such as the vehicle title.
If you wish to be granted import duty exemption, you’ll need to submit a certificate of origin to customs. Furthermore, if you don’t want to visit customs in person, then you must provide a notarized Power of Attorney that enables your shipping company to handle the clearance process for you (11).
This article was provided by A-1 Auto Transport - a leader in shipping internationally to Poland. With over 20 years of experience moving vehicles and homes globally, A-1 is recognised for its experience, expertise, and stellar customer service.
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Sources:
(1) Found on Atlas Int’l “Importing Personal Property Into Poland” pdf
(2) Movers.com Customs Regulations For Poland
(3) iamovers.com
(4) Ibid.
(5) Found on Atlas Int’l “Importing Personal Property Into Poland” pdf
(6) iamovers.org
(7) Found on Atlas Int’l “Importing Personal Property Into Poland” pdf
(8) Ibid.
(9) iamovers.org
(10) Ibid.
(11) Ibid.
FAQs
What are the import taxes in Poland? ›
The VAT rates are 23% (standard rate), 8%, 5%, 0%, and exemption. The standard 23% VAT rate generally applies to the supply of all goods and services, except for those that are covered by special VAT provisions that provide other rates or treatments.
How much does it cost to import VAT to Poland? ›The import tax charged on a shipment will be 23% on the full value of your items.
Do I have to pay customs for package from USA to Poland? ›Do I need to deal with customs when shipping to Poland from the USA? While your package will go through customs when shipping to Poland from the US, you do not have to worry about any issues as long as you are not sending items that are not allowed by law.
How long does customs clearance take Poland? ›Between filing the paperwork, perfecting the packaging, cross-border delivery, Customs clearance, and local delivery within Poland it may take anywhere between 3 weeks to 4 months (or more!) to get a parcel delivered to your recipient.
How much will I pay in import tax? ›The General Rate of Duty is estimated at 5% X FOB Value of goods (Value converted to AUD at the exchange rate determined by Australian customs). Customs GST is estimated at 10% x Cost of goods, Insurance, freight + Any Duty Paid.
Do you have to pay tax on import? ›In addition to duty and possible excise tax, goods imported into the United States are subject to user fees. The user fee and amount collected by CBP depends on the type of entry and mode of transportation used to bring the goods into the United States.
How much is tax free in Poland? ›The tax-free amount is set at PLN 30,000 and was introduced as of 1st January 2022. This means that taxpayers earning less than PLN 30,000 per year will be exempt from paying tax. In the case of income exceeding PLN 120,000, the tax is PLN 10,800 + 32% of the excess over PLN 120,000.
Which country has cheapest import tax? ›| Country | Weighted Mean Applied Tariff |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong (China) | 0.0% |
| Macao (China) | 0.0% |
| Sudan | 0.0% |
| Brunei Darussalam | 0.0% |
- U.S. currency only.
- Personal check in the exact amount, drawn on a U.S. bank, made payable to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ...
- Government check, money order or traveler's check if the amount does not exceed the duty owed by more than $50.
When your goods arrive at the border, the applicable customs duties, fees or taxes will be assessed and must be paid before your goods can be delivered. Depending on the quantity or value of what you are shipping, and where you are shipping to, there may be no costs at all.
How much does shipping to Poland cost? ›
| Weight | Price | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 1lb | $18.06 | Asendia e-Paq Plus |
| 5lb | $57.52 | EMS Parcel Post |
| 10lb | $71.75 | EMS Parcel Post |
| 20lb | $91.21 | EMS Parcel Post |
Mailers sending packages from the United States pay for postage that covers the cost of transporting and delivering packages. The recipient is responsible for paying any customs duties, taxes or fees assessed by the destination country.
How long can customs hold my package? ›Generally, Customs officers will visit multiple sites during the day and process their releases in the afternoon. The process can take anywhere from 12-48 hours and even longer during high traffic periods. Customs releases are also not guaranteed.
How long does customs clearance take 2022? ›As long as your documentation is accurate, it usually only takes one to two days to clear customs. If you are importing products that are food or drug related, customs clearance will take longer.
Do I need to pay money if receiving a parcel from abroad? ›Depending on the origin and value of the goods, you may be required to pay tax and other import duties. In practice, any fees due are collected by PostNL on behalf of customs authorities. These costs may be paid at the time of picking up your shipment at a retail point.
How much is an import fee? ›The amount of import tax and duties to be paid depends on the country that the goods are imported from. Duty tax rates are between 0 to 37.5% with the typical rate being 5.63%. A flat rate of 3% applies to e-commerce purchases that are in excess of the US import tax threshold limits.
Who pays the import fee? ›Importing Process Paying Duty: The importer is ultimately responsible for paying any duty owed on an import. Determining duty can be very complicated, and while shipping services will often give an estimate for what the duty rate on an item might be, only CBP can make a final determination about what is owed.
What happens if you don't pay shipping tax? ›If you don't pay customs charges, parcels will be kept by customs. The parcel(s) will typically be stored in a warehouse that will hold the goods for 30 days.
How can I avoid paying customs fees? ›There is no way to avoid customs duties, customs officers will check all items entering the country and charges will be applied where necessary. If you simply put 'gift' on the customs invoice, this does not mean it will not attract duty as they will still check the value of what is in the box.
Does DHL charge import tax? ›You will not be paying to DHL any further shipping costs. Rather, you will be asked instead to pay customs duties, taxes and other import charges related to customs clearance in your home country, as per local regulations.
What is custom clearance fee? ›
Customs Handling Fee: In addition to import duties, India charges a one percent customs handling fee on all imports. This is charged on the total value of the goods plus the freight costs and insurance.
How much salary is good in Poland? ›Average salary by gender in Poland
According to Pensjometr, a Polish salary survey company: Men earn 9,372 PLN on average. Women earn 6,432 PLN on average.
...
Cost of Living in Poland.
| Restaurants | Edit |
|---|---|
| Salaries And Financing | Edit |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,574.44zł |
1.67% of total gross salary for employers that employ up to nine employees. 0.67% to 3.33% of total gross salary for employers that employ more than nine employees (the precise rate depends on the business sector). Foreign employers pay a flat rate of 1.67%.
Which country is No 1 in import? ›The United States is the world's largest importer of goods, followed by China and Germany.
What is minimum import price? ›Description. Minimum import prices ensure that a product cannot be imported at a price that is lower than a price set by the state. If the import price is below the minimum price, an additional charge is imposed.
Which country sell cheapest products? ›...
What country is the cheapest for shopping?
- Hong Kong. ...
- Spain. ...
- Mexico. ...
- Thailand. ...
- Czech Republic. ...
- Vietnam.
If the customs charge is not paid by the “pay by date” the item will be returned to the sender. After I pay my customs charges, when can I expect my package to arrive? Once you have paid your customs charges and your item has been cleared through customs, it will be delivered in the normal way.
Does customs check every package? ›Does customs check every package? The short answer is yes. Customs checks all inbound international packages and mail. During this process, a customs officer in the country you're shipping to will review the package to make sure it meets the country's laws, regulations and policies.
Who pays for custom clearance? ›Who pays the duty? It is the responsibility of the importer of record to pay the duty. The seller or shipper normally cannot pay the duty in advance. Working with a customs broker that you trust can save you from being duped by the seller who claimed to prepay the duty.
Can I send money inside a package? ›
As per law, it is illegal to send currency notes and coins by mail or courier service. Courier services such as DTDC, DHL, FedEx etc will check for the presence of money in their packages. If found, they won't allow it to be shipped and will ask the sender to remove such items.
Do you have to pay to send a package? ›Before you can ship your package, you have to pay for the correct postage, which means you need accurate size and weight measurements. A postal worker at the retail counter of your post office will weigh and measure the package to determine how much postage it requires.
Can I send a package and have the receiver pay for it? ›Collect on Delivery (COD) is a service that allows the sender to collect from the recipient money for postage, fees, merchandise, or any combination thereof. Each COD item has an identification number, enabling delivery confirmation.
What is the best way to ship to Poland? ›- FedEx Intl Connect: 6-12 days.
- Budget Economy: 5-10 days.
- Budget Express: 4-9 days.
- FedEx Economy: 2-5 days.
- FedEx Priority: 1-3 days.
- DHL Express: 1-4 days.
- UPS Expedited: 2-8 days.
- UPS Worldwide Saver: 1-4 days.
| Rank | Country | WEF-GCR Port Infrastructure Score, 1=Worst, 7=Best |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 6.8 |
| 2 | Singapore | 6.7 |
| 3 | United Arab Emirates | 6.5 |
| 4 | Finland | 6.4 |
UBT Express offers the Best Shipping Rates for Courier to Poland, combined with the ultimate customer support for the hassle-free Shipping to Poland from India.
Do I need to pay customs for online shopping? ›Check the import customs tariff of various commodities here. While some websites might levy local taxes to be paid in your country in advance, some collect the customs duty upon delivery. “Basic customs duty is 10% on majority of the products. It's levied on the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value.
How long can customs keep you? ›The new standards define short-term detention as the “temporary detention of a person at a CBP facility for the least amount of time necessary to complete processing, transfer, and/or repatriation.” It also establishes that “detainees should generally not be held for longer than 72 hours in CBP hold rooms or holding ...
Can customs destroy a package? ›If the items being shipped are prohibited or restricted, customs may delay or even destroy the package. Sometimes, customs clearance documentation is incomplete, causing delays while customs coordinates with the shipper to gather needed information.
Who pays refused package? ›Many postal customers believe that they may accept, open and then refuse a parcel marked "Return Service Requested”. The placement of the return service endorsement on mailpieces constitutes, in part, a pledge by the sender that they will pay return postage if the pieces are refused by the addressee.
How long does it take to verify clearance? ›
In general, expect a CONFIDENTIAL or SECRET clearance to take between 1 and 3 months. A TOP SECRET will probably take between 4 and 8 months. However, some individuals have been waiting for the results of their TOP SECRET investigation for more than one year.
What is your package is prepared for clearance? ›It means that inward customs formalities have been completed and that the goods are ready for collection [have been released by customs] and delivery [depending on what arrangements you or your agent have made].
Who pays for the courier sender or receiver? ›Can courier charges be paid by receiver? You can choose to bill the receiver's UPS account when processing a shipment, but please know the receiver can refuse the charges. If that happens, you're responsible for paying the shipment charges as well as an additional “charge-back” fee.
Will DHL deliver without paying customs? ›You will not be paying to DHL any further shipping costs. Rather, you will be asked instead to pay customs duties, taxes and other import charges related to customs clearance in your home country, as per local regulations.
How much does it cost to receive a package internationally? ›| Courier | Service | Cost (Retail pricing) |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | First-Class Package International | $26.36 |
| USPS | Priority Mail International | $51.44 |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express International | $67.28 |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Expedited® | $127.05 |
Special rules for non-residents
Namely, they are taxed at a flat rate of 20% calculated on revenue (cost deductions are not allowed) unless a double tax treaty (DTT) between Poland and the individual's country of residence provides otherwise.
...
Poland Tariff Rates 1988-2022.
| Poland Tariff Rates - Historical Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Applied, Weighted Mean, All Products (%) | Annual Change |
| 2019 | 1.84% | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 1.83% | -0.13% |
| 2017 | 1.96% | -0.13% |
Poland Customs and Regulations
Shipments to Poland must go through customs since Brexit came into effect on 1st January 2021. This means all shipments require a commercial invoice and potentially other export documentation, and may be subject to custom duties and fees.
There are duty-free stores in the departure halls of Terminals A and B at Katowice Airport, offering passengers travelling internationally and leaving the territory of the Republic of Poland, goods intended exclusively for export.
How much is salary in Poland? ›...
D. Average Salary in Major Polish Regions.
What is the best salary in Poland? ›
The highest paid Poland are Executive Management & Change professionals at $111,000 annually. The lowest paid Poland are Support Functions & Translation professionals at $20,000.
What is the number 1 export of Poland? ›Exports The top exports of Poland are Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($12.4B), Seats ($5.69B), Other Furniture ($5.61B), Cars ($5.42B), and Electric Batteries ($5.29B), exporting mostly to Germany ($73.1B), United Kingdom ($15.1B), Czechia ($15.1B), France ($14.7B), and Netherlands ($11.3B).
What is the main import of Poland? ›By dollar spending, Poland's 5 biggest imported products are crude oil, cars, automobile parts or accessories, phone devices including smartphones, and medication mixes in dosage. Combined, those 5 leading import products amount to 12.7% of the total value for all Polish imports.